Tom Petty Forced Off Stage

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were sent off stage by a fire marshal after he said the concert audience was 100 people over capacity – despite evidence suggesting that wasn’t the case.

The band had already played 90 minutes of their set in the Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, on Saturday night, when Petty was advised too many people were in the room.

He made a joke of it – and was ordered off at the end of the next song.

After speaking to the health and safety officer, Petty had asked the audience if 100 of them would volunteer to leave, and members of his band added to the light-hearted spirit by raising their hands. He then said: “I’ve done my job, now I’m going to do what I do best,” before starting into another track.

As soon as he’d finished it, Rolling Stone reports, he announced : “We’re being told we have to go,” and the band left the stage to heavy booing.

The band later released a statement saying that venue and ticket sales records showed the number of tickets sold was not greater than the legal capacity of the premises.

They added: “We are as frustrated as you are. We are still investigating all details of last night’s situation and will keep you informed. We are working with the venue, the promoter and the fire marshal to ensure this problem will not repeat itself.”